Superstar outfielder Juan Soto is the prized possession of MLB free agency this offseason, and although in the past many star players have taken their time to find the right deal with the right team, it appears that Soto could come to a decision at some point early on in December, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
“The Juan Soto sweepstakes are in full swing, and while no conclusion is expected before Thanksgiving, the feeling around the industry is that the slugger could make his decision prior to the Winder Meetings, which get underway on Dec. 9 in Dallas.”
Star players like Bryce Harper and Manny Machado took their free agencies deep into the spring, but that seems unlikely to be the case this time around. With Juan Soto garnering interest from the typical big spenders in the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, and more, his market could come to a head rather quickly. With Harper and Machado, the Yankees and Dodgers were not all in on those players for the long term, and Steve Cohen was not the owner of the Mets at that point. Teams like the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays have also met with Soto, and seemingly have a lot of interest. Although, the meetings have been more to get acquainted with each team, and for owners to get acquainted with Soto, and no offers were extended, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
Other Scott Boras clients, like Gerrit Cole, have signed around the Winter Meetings. The same was the case with Aaron Judge, who while not a Boras client, re-signed with the Yankees during the meetings.
MLB executives confident Juan Soto will sight by end of Winter Meetings
An executive with a National League expressed confidence that Soto will sign by the end of the Winter Meetings, which conclude on Dec. 12.
“We all know that Boras has a reputation for dragging free agency along at a snail’s pace,” the executive said, according to Feinsand. “But when he has someone like Soto, that doesn’t usually happen. I’d be surprised if he hasn’t signed by the time we leave Dallas.”
Soto is a unique free agent, as he just turned 26 years old this October. Many other free agents are in their late 20s or early 30s. He possesses skills at the plate that not many have displayed in the history of the game. That is so valuable that many teams are willing to pay him a ton of money and overlook his defensive shortcomings. He is scheduled to meet with the Los Angeles Dodgers, as well as another unknown team. Once Soto signs, the rest of the free agents are likely to follow.
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